This article needs to be updated.(May 2015) |
Downtown Syracuse is the economic center of Syracuse, New York, and Central New York, employing over 30,000 people, and housing over 4,300. [1]
It is also one of the 26 officially recognized neighborhoods of Syracuse.
| |
Annexed | - |
Population (2020) | 4,300 |
Median age | 31.5 |
Median household income | $9,940 |
Owner-occupied housing | 1.4% |
ZIP codes | 13202 |
Downtown Syracuse, as the rest of the city, grew as a result of the city's salt industry and its location on the Erie Canal.
For over a century, it was also the retail and entertainment center of Central New York, with large department stores such as Chappell's, The Addis Co., Flah's, E.W. Edwards, Woolworth's, Grant's, Lincoln Stores, The Mohican, David's, Kresge's, Clark Music Co., Dey Brothers, and Sibley's. This attribute began to fade with development of large suburban malls, with the final blow in 1992 when the combined Addis & Dey's department store became the last major store to leave downtown.
South Salina Street between Erie Boulevard and West Onondaga Street was the main north-south artery of Downtown Syracuse and was among the busiest streets in the city. [2] The area has seen a great deal of revitalization in recent years with projects such as the conversion of the historic Syracuse Trust Building into luxury condos, a project engineered by local developer Peter Muserlian. More development projects are planned. [3]
In 1835, the "nature of the soil and the flat surface of the ground" in the village rendered the construction of stone pavements necessary. An ordinance was passed authorizing the paving with cobblestone of Salina Street from Fayette to Church Streets and Genesee Street from the west line of Clinton Square to Hanover Square . Additionally, sections of Water, Warren and Franklin Streets were paved. [4]
The paving of these streets also made it necessary to pave the public squares, or the work would be "incomplete." A sum of $4,500 was raised with general tax. During the same year, sidewalks of brick were ordered to be constructed along all paved streets and squares where they had not already been laid including Salina Street from Washington Street to Onondaga Avenue. [4]
Armory Square is a small neighborhood on the west side of Downtown Syracuse. It began life as a busy commercial and industrial area just to the west of the central city. Named after the historic armory building that still inhabits the district's center, Armory Square is now home to luxury condos, restaurants, cafes, and high-end office space.
Forman Park was first established on June 16, 1839, and was known as Forman Square. The main attraction is a bronze memorial of early civic leaders Joshua Forman and Lewis H. Redfield. The park is 1.3 acres and is located at East Genesee and Almond Streets. [5]
Clinton Square first came into existence in the early 19th century when roadways from north and south joined in downtown Syracuse. By the mid-19th century, the construction of Erie Canal further transformed the busy intersection into the center of commerce and trade in Central New York. [6]
Hanover Square is actually a triangle at the intersection of Warren, Water, and East Genesee Streets. The name may also refer to the larger Hanover Square Historic District, which includes seventeen historic buildings in the area that was the first commercial district in Syracuse. [7]
The public square was originally named Veteran's Park. It was renamed to Hanover Square after the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in Clinton Square was dedicated in 1910 and the function of commemorating Syracuse's war dead was shifted there. The larger Clinton Square had already developed as the city's center to the west, but following the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, commercial and retail activity spread along Genesee Street to Hanover Square. [8]
Downtown Syracuse also boasts the Landmark Theatre originally known as Loew's State Theatre, where visitors and locals can view Broadway shows, performances by comedians, and musical performers. The theatre began construction in 1927 on March 15 and was completed after 11 months of construction. The first opening show aired February 18, 1928.
In 1933 Loew's made its first public demonstration of the television and in 1934, the theatre then began introducing double feature in 1934.
After World War II, the theatre's patronage decreased drastically. The theatre fell into disrepair and in 1975 was officially closed. In the following year of 1976, the US department listed the theatre in the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1979, the title for the theatre was given to SALT (Syracuse Area Landmark Theatre) and a major volunteer effort began to restore the theatre. These efforts were supported by The National Endowment of the Arts and the State Office of Parks and Recreation, which provided grants to help the restoration continue.
The theatre now boasts having prominent performers, such as Jerry Seinfeld and Celtic Women, bringing their acts to Syracuse and often features many popular Broadway shows.
Today, downtown Syracuse is an economic center, with many insurance companies, banks, and law firms having a large presence there.
Since the late 1980s, downtown Syracuse has also increasingly become a nightlife center, with many bars, clubs, restaurants, and pubs located in the Armory Square area.
Most of Syracuse's cultural festivals, such as Oktoberfest and Festa Italiana, also take place downtown.
The Downtown Committee of Syracuse has made a great deal of effort to revitalize the area. Most sidewalks and streetlights have been restored since 1995, with maps and other information posted on many street corners.
All of downtown is lively on weekdays, but on nights and weekends most activity centers around the Armory Square , Hanover Square , and Clinton Square areas. With the reopening of the historic Marriott Syracuse Downtown in 2016, there are currently three hotels downtown.
The following are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and located in Downtown Syracuse: Amos Block, Armory Square Historic District, Central New York Telephone and Telegraph Building, Central Technical High School, Gere Bank Building, Gridley Building, Hanover Square Historic District, Hotel Syracuse, Loew's State Theater, Montgomery Street-Columbus Circle Historic District, New York Central Railroad Passenger and Freight Station, Niagara Hudson Building, Onondaga County War Memorial, Plymouth Congregational Church, St. Paul's Cathedral and Parish House, C.W. Snow and Company Warehouse, South Salina Street Downtown Historic District, Syracuse City Hall, Syracuse Savings Bank, Third National Bank, Weighlock Building, White Memorial Building, and Hamilton White House. [9] [10] [11]
In December 2005, Syracuse University announced it had purchased eleven buildings downtown, and leased another. Hundreds of faculty, staff, and students began using the buildings in the spring of 2006. Former Syracuse University chancellor Nancy Cantor's motto for the venture was "Exploring the Soul of Syracuse." At the same time, the university and the city were working on a project called the "Connective Corridor", a special path from the university area to Armory Square. The main building of Syracuse University downtown is The Warehouse.
Syracuse is a city and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13th-most populated municipality in the state of New York.
Manlius is a town to the east of Syracuse in Onondaga County. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 33,712, making it the third largest suburb in metropolitan Syracuse. In 2005, the town was ranked 98th on CNN's list of Best Places to Live.
Armory Square is a small neighborhood on the west side of Downtown Syracuse, New York. It began life as a busy commercial and industrial area just to the west of the central city. After World War II, Syracuse's central city became less and less populated as more housing and business facilities were built in the suburbs. In the 1980s, plans were first made to transform the languishing district into a small shopping/arts/nightlife district surrounding the former Syracuse Armory. These plans came to fruition during the 1990s, when new stores and restaurants opened, and several new buildings were constructed in a compatible style to the middle and late 1800s and early 1900s architecture dominating the district.
Little Italy Syracuse is an ethnic enclave in Syracuse, New York that contains several bakeries, cafés, pizzerias, restaurants, beauty salons, shops, bars and nightclubs. The main street in the neighborhood is North Salina Street.
Hanover Square in downtown Syracuse is actually a triangle at the intersection of Warren, Water, and East Genesee Streets. The name may also refer to the larger Hanover Square Historic District which includes seventeen historic buildings in the area that was the first commercial district in Syracuse. In the warm weather months, entertainment is common on the plaza around the fountain. Workers in the surrounding office buildings and retail establishments often lunch there.
New York State Route 92 (NY 92) is a state highway located in central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S. Route 11 in downtown Syracuse. Its eastern terminus is at a junction with US 20 west of the village of Cazenovia. NY 92 is known as East Genesee Street through Syracuse and DeWitt; from DeWitt to Cazenovia, its name varies by location. It heads generally eastward through Syracuse to DeWitt, where it crosses Interstate 481 (I-481) while concurrent with NY 5. At the east end of the overlap, it splits off follows a more southeasterly routing through the village of Manlius to Cazenovia.
The Landmark Theatre, originally known as Loew's State Theater, is a historic theater from the era of movie palaces, located on South Salina Street in Syracuse, New York, United States. Designed by Thomas W. Lamb, it is the city's only surviving example of the opulent theatrical venues of the 1920s. The Landmark is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Gridley Building, built in 1867 and known previously as the Onondaga County Savings Bank Building, is a prominent historic building on Clinton Square and Hanover Square in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was designed by Horatio Nelson White and was built adjacent to what was then the Erie Canal and is now Erie Boulevard.
Syracuse Savings Bank Building, also known as Bank of America building, is a historic building in Syracuse, New York designed by Joseph Lyman Silsbee.
Horatio Nelson White was an American architect based out of Syracuse, New York, and became one of New York State's most prominent architects from about 1865 to 1880. White designed many homes, armories, churches, and public buildings throughout Syracuse in Central New York, including the Hall of Languages at Syracuse University, the Oswego County Court House, Syracuse High School, the Weiting Block in Syracuse, Oswego's City Hall, and more.
The National Register of Historic Places listings in Syracuse, New York are described below. There are 116 listed properties and districts in the city of Syracuse, including 19 business or public buildings, 13 historic districts, 6 churches, four school or university buildings, three parks, six apartment buildings, and 43 houses. Twenty-nine of the listed houses were designed by architect Ward Wellington Ward; 25 of these were listed as a group in 1996.
The State Tower Building is a high-rise building located in Syracuse, New York. Completed in 1928, the building remains the highest in Syracuse. It has around 23 floors and is around 312 feet tall. For several years after the Bastable Theatre burnt down in a 1923 fire, the plot of land was considered as the potential site of a new theatre or an office building. Eventually the plot's owners, Central Offices decided to build an office building. Designed by Thompson & Churchill, work began on the foundation of the State Tower Building in 1927. The tower was completed by late April 1928.
Charles Erastus Colton was an American architect who worked in Syracuse, New York.
South Salina Street Downtown Historic District is a historic district representing what was the commercial core of in Syracuse, New York from the mid-nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 16, 2009. The vacancy rate in the district is high, and some buildings need extensive rehabilitation. Recent revitalization plans served as impetus for seeking listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Clinton Square is an intersection in downtown Syracuse, New York, United States. The square was the original town center and first came into existence in the early 19th century where roadways from north and south convened. With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 the intersection was further transformed. During the 19th century, the square was a marketplace that also hosted several public events, including an 1870 public barbecue reportedly attended by 20,000 people.
University Hill is a neighborhood and business district in Syracuse, New York, located east and southeast of Downtown Syracuse, on one of the larger hills in Syracuse. The neighborhood is bounded on the west by Almond Street and Interstate 81. It continues east to Ostrom Avenue and Thornden Park, where it borders the Westcott and University neighborhoods. Interstate 690 currently serves as the neighborhood's northern boundary.
The Onondaga Creekwalk is a mostly paved, partly bricked, multi-use trail running 4.8 miles (7.7 km) in Syracuse, New York, which has so far seen more than three decades of planning, construction, and delays, starting in 1988. The trail is designed for bicyclists, skaters, and pedestrians to approximately parallel any desired portion of Onondaga Creek's run connecting Kirk Park on Syracuse's South Side, downstream through downtown at Armory Square, and then on to Onondaga Lake at the creek's ultimate mouth.
Syracuse station was the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western's railroad station in Syracuse, New York. It was housed in different buildings in succession. It hosted trains going north to Oswego, New York on the Lake Ontario coast by way of the DLW's acquisition, the former Oswego and Syracuse Railroad; and it also hosted trains going south to Binghamton on the route of the former Syracuse and Binghamton Railroad, and further to Hoboken, New Jersey.
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